Opening the meeting, Chairman of the
Sub-Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government Vasyl
Demchyshen stated that implementation of the European
Charter of Local Self-Government in Ukraine is essential in the light of the local
self-government reform declared by Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, and
the presidency of Ukraine in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe since May 2011.
The participants of the round table discussion emphasized that the fundamental tasks of the event is preparation for the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government open for signing by the country-members of the Council of Europe in 2009. The Additional Protocol supports realization of the European Charter right for every citizen to participate in the social-political life on the local level and in the activity of the local self-government bodies.
The European culture of the democratic involvement of citizens in the local social life is an essential feature of social understanding and devotion to democracy.
According to the participants of the meeting, democratic institutes can not be formed or supported, without considering the fundamental role of citizen´s participation in the local social life.
The participants are of the opinion that the Charter of Local Self-Government that obliges to implement the fundamental rules to provide the political, administrative and financial independence of the local authorities, shall also open up opportunities for the countries-parties of the Charter to fulfill their international-legal obligations.
The participants were informed about the organization of the European Local Democracy Week in Ukraine on October 10-17, 2010.
People´s Deputies of Ukraine, representatives of the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe, central and local bodies of the executive power, local self-government bodies and their associations, international organizations, academic institutions, Ukrainian and international experts on local self-government and regional democracy matters attended the discussion.